Whistle-blowers could put the season in jeopardy

The purple foam finger is clean and ready to go. The new No. 37 jersey is hanging next to the old No. 24 in your closet just waiting to be worn.

The money you saved for tickets and parking are itching to be spent, or you have the dates and times of all the Lakers games memorized so you can set the TiVo or DVR at an instant.

But hold on for just a moment or perhaps a week or eve longer. The NBA season might not start on time.

Seems the league wants to reduce referees' budget across the board by 10 percent and, as you can guess, the men with the whistles aren't happy.

The referees' current five-year deal expires next Tuesday and the impasse might not be resolved before the start the 2009-10 season. An unnamed source told ESPN.com that as of "right now (the referees) will not be working preseason (or the) regular season."

Another source said the NBA's motivation for holding firm is a chance to demonstrate the hard-line approach some owners favor in collective-bargaining talks with NBA players that began earlier this month.

Who are the referees to complain? To hold out? Tell me, what fan out there hasn't taken a furlough, cut in pay or been laid off?

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.